Climb the broad, curving stairs from the market on Gundulić Square and you reach the most theatrical corner of the Old Town. The Jesuit Staircase was designed in 1738 by the Roman architect Pietro Passalacqua, and the comparison everyone makes is with the Spanish Steps in Rome: on a smaller scale, the same flowing Baroque curves lead the eye up to a church. At the top is the square named after the scientist Ruđer Bošković, a Dubrovnik-born Jesuit, with the Church of St Ignatius on one side and the Jesuit college, the Collegium Ragusinum, beside it. The church is attributed to the Jesuit architect and painter Ignazio Pozzo, who worked on it from 1699 to 1703; it was completed in 1725 and opened in 1729, funded in its early stages by a donation from a Jesuit of the Gundulić family. The idea of a Jesuit college went back much further: a bishop of Dubrovnik began pushing for one in 1555, but it was not built until after 1658, when land disputes were resolved and many houses were demolished to make space. The Dubrovnik Tourist Board calls the complex the finest Baroque group of buildings in the city, and many consider it the finest in Dalmatia. Inside the church, look for the painted ceiling and apse and the grotto chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes, a later addition that draws local worshippers. Directors at the Dubrovnik Summer Festival often use the staircase and square as an open-air stage, and Game of Thrones fans know the steps as the start of a notorious walk through King's Landing.
This is one of the best free stops in the Old Town for a pause and a view. From the top of the stairs you look down on the umbrellas of the morning market on Gundulić Square and across the rooftops toward the cathedral dome; it is particularly good in the early morning, before the crowds, and in the late afternoon when the light warms the stone. The church is usually open outside service times, and entry is free, though a donation is welcome. As with all working churches, dress modestly.
The staircase also makes a useful shortcut: from Ruđer Bošković square, lanes lead west and south toward the Buža Gate and the cliff bars on the seaward side of the walls, so it fits naturally into a loop from the market to a drink on the rocks. Be careful on the stairs after rain, when the polished stone can be slippery. Game of Thrones tours stop here, so if you want a photo without a crowd, come early.
Who should go: first-time visitors exploring the Old Town on foot, photographers, Baroque architecture fans and Game of Thrones fans. It takes ten minutes for the stairs and the view and twenty to thirty if you visit the church as well. Pair it with the morning market on Gundulić Square, the Cathedral and the Rector's Palace below, and the walk out through the Buža Gate to the cliff bars for sunset.
What to expect
The experience
A free climb up a Baroque staircase from the market square to a Jesuit church and college, with a view over the Old Town rooftops.
Best time
Early morning before the tour groups, or late afternoon for warm light on the stone.
How long
Ten minutes for the stairs and view, half an hour with the church.
Tips
Come early for photos without crowds. Watch your step on polished stone after rain. Continue to the Buža Gate for sunset.
Quick picks
- Best for
- A beautiful free viewpoint inside the Old Town.
- Families
- A short climb children can manage; combine with the market below.
- Couples
- Sunset loop from here through the upper lanes to the cliff bars beyond the walls.
- Pair with
- Gundulić Square market, the Cathedral and the Buža Gate.
- Time needed
- Twenty to thirty minutes.
Good questions
Where is the Jesuit Staircase in Dubrovnik?+
It rises from Gundulić Square, where the morning market is held, up to Ruđer Bošković square and the Church of St Ignatius.
Was the Jesuit Staircase in Game of Thrones?+
Yes. The steps were used at the start of a well-known walk-of-shame scene set in King's Landing.
Is the Church of St Ignatius free?+
Yes, entry is free when the church is open outside service times. Donations are welcome.
Who designed the staircase?+
The Roman architect Pietro Passalacqua, in 1738. It is often compared to the Spanish Steps in Rome.
How long do you need?+
Ten minutes for the stairs and the view, or about half an hour including the church.
